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Lukas laughed "We all hate to use that word You’re not alone"

The others nodded so vigorously I worried for their cervical spines

"I just think the whole point of this assignment was to focus on fresh This doesn’t feel fresh I’ it’s bad, Jackie--"

"Oh, no," Jackie said quickly "Of course not Because it isn’t"

"Jackie," Lukas warned

Jackie’s voice wobbled when she said, "I’ve been doing this for thirty years"

"That’s apparent," Rhiannon said under her breath

Lukas steepled his fingers, and I readied myself for a lecture "We know you’re experienced, Jackie, but collaboration must be part of our process if we’re to succeed This isn’t a critique session--it’s, as Petra calls it, a group exploration into the possible Do you understand how that works?"

"Perfectly" Jackie switched off her laptop and took her seat

"Paige?"

"What?" I’d been so distracted by Jackie’s defeat that I hadn’t realized Lukas had recalibrated his laser beam stare for me

"You have the next opportunity"

"Opportunity for what?"

"You’re up," he said tersely

Working in advertising had taught me to think on my feet, but this required line Lukas’s expression, a slightly predatory look of anticipation, clued me in on how i An idea had occurred to h the kitchen, but it was so fuzzy and unfinished I kneould look exactly like what it was-- froers began punching at laptops

"Did you send it to everyone?" Rhiannon asked

"Er, no What I have is a visual presentation"

Puzzled, she kept tapping at her keyboard "What do you ht so the endless walk to the front of the room,around , I took the cardboard plate fro and held it up to the whiteboard The beetroot cake had left a circular any stain, crumbs stuck to the center Splashes of red wine dotted the space surrounding it, along with a dark smear of dirt